Saint Lucia’s unemployment rate has fallen to 10.1%, putting the country within striking distance of single-digit unemployment as more people enter the workforce.
New figures from the Central Statistical Office (CSO) show unemployment declined from 12.1% in the first quarter of 2026 to 10.1% between April and June. A year earlier, the rate stood at 13.4%.
The improvement comes as total employment climbed to 99,528 people, an increase of 691 workers over the previous quarter and 1,677 compared with the same period last year.
Prime Minister Philip J. Pierre, who announced the figures on Monday, described the decline as another significant improvement in Saint Lucia’s labour market, pointing to continued job creation across key sectors.
But one of the sharpest shifts is among young people.
Youth unemployment fell to 15.5%, down from 18.5% during the first three months of 2026. The year-on-year change is even more pronounced, with youth unemployment falling from 24.1% in the second quarter of 2025.
“There has been encouraging progress among young people,” Pierre said, highlighting the decline over both the previous quarter and the corresponding period last year.
Despite the improved numbers, the Government is not declaring the job done. Pierre said the administration intends to continue pushing towards single-digit unemployment, with the focus now on translating the wider economic recovery into sustained employment and greater job stability.
With unemployment now just 0.2 percentage points above single digits, the next set of labour market figures could determine whether Saint Lucia crosses that threshold.
